Sovereignty challenges and overcomes tariff hike.

The decision by US President Donald Trump to impose an additional 40% tariff on Brazilian products, raising the total tax to 50%, announced on July 30, 2025, includes a list of exceptions with 694 items, released by the US government as part of the decree.

This relationship encompasses crucial sectors of Brazil's export agenda, such as the aeronautical industry and agribusiness, signaling that the measure was not applied indiscriminately, but with the intention of mitigating impacts in vital areas.

Key exempt products include aircraft and inputs, such as Embraer aircraft and spare parts — tires, engines, and turbines; iron, steel, aluminum, and copper products, basic metals for various industries; wood, a raw material for construction; ores, including iron, tin, and derivatives; coal, natural gas, petroleum, and derivatives, energy sources; Brazil nuts, relevant to domestic and international markets; orange juice and pulp, beverages with high international demand; and fertilizers, essential agricultural inputs.

This selectivity reinforces Brazil's robustness, allowing the country to transform the challenge into leverage for greater economic sovereignty and commercial diversification. Far from representing a total blockade, Trump's executive order, anchored in allegations of threats to US national security, economy, and foreign policy, exposes an interventionist and biased perspective.

Accusations of violations of freedom of expression, political persecution, and interference in American companies are blatant pretexts for protectionism, mixing internal Brazilian issues with significant economic interests. References to legal actions, such as those of Minister Alexandre de Moraes, and the alleged hunt for former President Jair Bolsonaro, highlight an attempt to politicize trade.

I have no doubt that, with exemptions preserving flows in strategic sectors, Brazil gains a good margin to reaffirm its autonomy and explore new routes.

First, the tariff, mitigated by exceptions, accelerates market diversification. The United States, despite its importance, is giving way to destinations such as China, India, and the European Union, which are the main buyers of Brazilian goods, especially commodities and manufactured products.

By 2024, China captured 26% of exports, compared to 10% for the US.

Exemptions on energy, minerals, and agricultural products maintain stable revenues, facilitating bilateral negotiations that reduce dependencies and increase profits. Mercosur, in turn, can revitalize itself as an integrated hub, with Brazilian leadership in regional supply chains.

Tax exemptions stimulate domestic innovation. Affected sectors, such as non-exempted manufacturing, boost investments in technology and added value. It is in this context that I consider Brazil, a traditional exporter of primary products, now prioritizing industrialization, thus increasing its competitiveness.

Initiatives by Embrapa and BNDES expand support for smaller companies, fostering sophisticated goods and reducing exposure to barriers.

We cannot be perpetual exporters of raw materials. We are no longer in the 19th and 20th centuries. The 21st century is the century of cutting-edge technology, scientific immersion, and creativity in all fields of human endeavor, and it will not be by exporting soybeans or coffee that Brazil will change its position of "eternally lying in a splendid cradle" to achieve the future that is destined for it. And that has nothing to do with "manifest destiny," that misguided, centuries-old vision of our brothers to the North.

Trump's measure also strengthens Brazilian economic diplomacy, and that will be the topic of the next article. Because it deserves it.

At the WTO, challenges to the legality of tariffs—with precedents such as the cotton case in 2009—demonstrate expertise. The threat of escalating retaliation opens avenues for clear, unequivocal stances, aligning with global partners against unilateralism.

By limiting immediate damage, the exemptions allow time for precise strategies. Finally, the decree, with its exceptions, can unify the country. A history of overcoming crises unites producers, authorities, and society around sovereign development.

I believe that Trump's view, which portrays Brazil as a risk, is counterbalanced by firm diplomacy, demonstrating institutional strength.

Thus, the tariff, moderated by exemptions, emerges not as an obstacle, but as a catalyst for reinvention. And with our vast territory, abundant resources, and human talent, Brazil will transform pressure into a landmark of economic robustness and strategic independence. This is called the real defense of the country's sovereignty.